Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon

Clinging to the eastern slopes of the Himalayas and landlocked between Tibet and India is the proud Kingdom of Bhutan. Just slightly bigger in area than Taiwan, Bhutan's geography is characterized by steep mountains, elevation ranging from 200 to 7,000 meters, and stunning biodiversity.

It was formed in the early 17th century by a Tibetan lama, who unified the various warring fiefdoms. In 1907, the country's highest representatives chose a hereditary king, who entered into a protective treaty with British India, accepting defeat after a period of skirmishes. The agreement was upheld following India's independence in 1949, and the two nations have remained close political and economic allies.

In the mid-20th century, the third Dragon King of Bhutan took steps toward democracy. 1971 marked the year the country entered the United Nations. Then, in 2008, Bhutan transitioned from an absolute to a constitutional monarchy and held its first general parliamentary election.

Bhutan's economy is small, with a GDP of $4.7 billion and 62.2 percent of its total employment tied up in agriculture. Education and health care are free of charge, receiving a large allocation of the national budget. Recent growth has come from the industry sector, especially the construction of hydropower plants, as electricity is now the nation's largest export. Yet Bhutan is not in a huge hurry to develop. Its legislature continues to place cultural heritage and environmental protection ahead of economic gain.

不丹：雷龍之國
緊臨喜馬拉雅山脈東部，位於西藏與印度之間的內陸地區，正是自豪的不丹王國。不丹僅比台灣稍大一些，其地理環境的特色為海拔兩百至七百公尺不等的陡峭山陵與驚人的生物多樣性。
這個國家由一位西藏喇嘛於十七世紀初期建立，他統一了數個相互交戰的封地。不丹的最高代表們在1907 年時選出一位世襲國王，他在一段時間的衝突後接受了戰敗的事實，與英屬印度簽訂保護條約。該協定在印度 1949 年獨立後仍舊延續，兩國也就一直維持著緊密的政治與經濟結盟。
二十世紀中葉，第三任不丹龍王採取行動邁向民主。該國在 1971 年加入聯合國。接著在 2008 年，不丹由君主專制轉變為君主立憲政體，並舉辦該國第一次的國會普選。
不丹的經濟規模不大，國內生產毛額總值為 47 億美元，總就業人口中有 62.2% 與農業密切相關。教育和健保都免費，這兩個領域都獲得國家預算的大量分配。近來的經濟成長來自工業部門，尤其是水力發電廠的建設，因為電力現在是該國最大的出口商品。然而，不丹並不急著發展。該國的立法機關仍舊將文化遺產與環境保護擺在經濟利益之前。